Six decades of conflict in Gaza explained in just 20 minutes

Putting Gaza in context — A short documentary unpicks the deep roots of the Gaza conflict, a human-made disaster driven by the state of Israel’s violent settler-colonial project in Palestine.

In Summer 2014, Israel launched its most devastating offensive on the besieged Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip to date. Israeli forces unleashed 6,000 airstrikes and 50,000 artillery shells in an air and ground offensive that lasted for 51 days, yet managed to paint itself as the victim in Western media.

Gaza in Context is a short explainer documentary from the Arab Studies Institute which attempts to put the long-running Gaza conflict in its proper context: nearly seven decades of violent seizure of Palestinian land by the state of Israel. The film was conceived in the wake of the 2014 Gaza offensive, with the aim of re-balancing the narrative around the conflict that has repeatedly favoured the Israeli perspective.

In just 20 minutes, the film provides a comprehensive background and explores how since 1948, Israel has systematically moved to expel Palestinians from their land – militarily or through municipal land laws. Like the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Gaza is one of the areas that remains nominally under Palestinian control within the borders of the state of Israel.

But as the film explains, Gaza has become the most brutal flashpoint due to Israel’s policy since the early nineties of setting it apart from the rest of the conflict through a policy of isolation, de-development, and control.

Gaza today is on the verge of collapse, due to its chronic overpopulation, the destruction of its infrastructure, and the lack of hygiene and access to clean water and food. Even before the start of the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict, the World Health Organization stated that the Gaza Strip would be unliveable by 2020.

But this suffering is not inevitable. The film ends with the reminder that this a human-made disaster, therefore a human-made solution is possible.

Find out more about the Gaza in Context project.

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.


Latest on Huck

Smiling person in black wetsuit riding surfboard on calm ocean with rocky hills in background.
Sport

Maryam El Gardoum is breaking new shores for Morocco’s indigenous surfers

The Amazigh Atlantic — Through her groundbreaking career and popular surf school, the five-time Moroccan champion is helping women find their places in the waves.

Written by: Sam Haddad

Dimly lit underground carpark, long winding corridor with concrete walls, floor, and pipes above.
Activism

Youth violence’s rise is deeply concerning, but mass hysteria doesn’t help

Safe — On Knife Crime Awareness Week, writer, podcaster and youth worker Ciaran Thapar reflects on the presence of violent content online, growing awareness about the need for action, and the two decades since Saul Dibb’s Bullet Boy.

Written by: Ciaran Thapar

Colourful embroidered jackets worn by two people, with skateboarder visible in background. Bright colours and graphic designs on the clothing.
Sport

Volcom teams up with Bob Mollema for the latest in its Featured Artist Series

True to This — The boardsports lifestyle brand will host an art show in Biarritz to celebrate the Dutch illustrators’ second capsule collection.

Written by: Huck

Black and white image showing a group of shirtless men socialising, some laughing.
Culture

A visual trip through 100 years of New York’s LGBTQ+ spaces

Queer Happened Here — A new book from historian and writer Marc Zinaman maps scores of Manhattan’s queer venues and informal meeting places, documenting the city’s long LGBTQ+ history in the process.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Four persons - three women and one man - posing outdoors. The women are wearing elaborate clothing and jewellery.
Culture

Nostalgic photos of everyday life in ’70s San Francisco

A Fearless Eye — Having moved to the Bay Area in 1969, Barbara Ramos spent days wandering its streets, photographing its landscape and characters. In the process she captured a city in flux, as its burgeoning countercultural youth movement crossed with longtime residents.

Written by: Miss Rosen

A person wearing a black cap and holding a sign that says "What made me"
Music

Tony Njoku: ‘I wanted to see Black artists living my dream’

What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s avant-garde electronic and classical music hybridist Tony Njoku.

Written by: Tony Njoku

Huck is supported by our readers, subscribers and Club Huck members. It is also made possible by sponsorship from:

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.